Elda Cordero: "Life is what you make it" (Luzon)

Nanay told me I was born without any attendant of birth (1959). Even a hilot was hard to find in Pototan, Iloilo that a neighbor was called to cut my cord and managed the placenta out. For that misery, my father promised to himself when I grow up, I would be a midwife, so that miserable birthings such as mine would not happen to others.

After graduating from high school, I planned to take up Mass Communications but due to my father's desire, I took up Midwifery instead and finished the course at the age of 18. That was 1979. My first employment after passing the board examination was as Day Care worker in our hometown. My work involved attending to home calls, which made me neither happy nor satisfied. So I went to Manila to seek greener pastures.

There I worked in Nayan Hospital (now Unciano) in Mandaluyong as a staff midwife where I earned very little. This prompted me to apply for jobs in hospitals abroad. My application did not prosper when I married my best friend and classmate, Marine Sgt. Efren Cordero, a Philippine marine sergeant assigned to the Presidential Security Group in Malacanang.

Twenty-one years of our married life was spent in Signal Village, Taguig. To help my husband Bebot earn a living, I started to attend to home calls once more, accepting late calls that were at midnight or even the wee hours of the morning. Since my husband's salary was enough for our daily consumption, I saved my income. My savings from home calls was initially enough to put up a room for rent, which has now become an 8-door apartment located beside our bungalow in a 400 sq. m. lot.

To a military man's salary, my earnings were of great help. I managed to keep and save the proceeds of my apartment and home deliveries and put up a sari-sari store in our front yard. I also put up a pigpen with four piglets. After one year, I had the most complete sari-sari store in the neighborhood. Happy I was because our income was fast growing. Still I was not content. Since water was a big problem in our place, I told my husband to venture in a water supply business.

Because my husband was assigned at that time to ISAFP and could not attend to putting up the business, I consulted a friend and started the business without Bebot. There were times I could not attend to home calls since I was busy with my kids and their schooling, my pigs, my sari-sari store and my water business.

The competition in the water business forced me to put up a modern pump to remain competitive with other water supply owners. We put in a submersible 40drum /hour pump to continue supply of potable water to the neighborhood. Since my savings could not afford the cost of the contract, I talked my husband into filing an application for a loan with RSBS (military bank). He hesitated because we had to submit our land title as collateral but since I was insistent that we pursue the loan, he went for it.

From that day on, our life changed. After one year of competing with other water suppliers, we were able to get almost 500 houses as clients, which included Maharlika Village (Muslim territory). The demand was so huge that we had to put up another pump to broaden our service. From our earnings here, I was able to purchase 2 house and lots near our residence and some investments in the province.

Frankly speaking, we were earning more than enough that I forgot about my poor profession. I have to hide whenever there was a home call, even those of my neighbors. I did not renew my PRC license for some years. I ignored my profession and my father was sad for me. Instead of bringing my OB bag, I would always have with me a llave tubo, pliers, pipe and tire wire - ready for any trouble in our pipelines.

Bebot could not extend help to me because he was assigned to Iloilo ISAPF station commander for two years. I had to do the water business' paper work and billing of our clients. My three roving staff were not enough to help with the workload so I was pressured to ask my husband to file for early retirement.

Then one day, a friend told me about Well Family. He gave me the name of Dr. Thom and the word JSI. He even gave me the IMCH number and the name of Jerry Cuevas. Since I did not want to let down my friend, I made an inquiry. When Mr. Cuevas told me about WFMC and how almost everything was free - seminars, trainings, instruments - I had a bad feeling about it. It prompted me to ask Mr. Cuevas, what is it you expect in return for all the freebies?

I was not convinced but when my kumare, the president of Signal Village Ladies Club, told me to join the training, for curiosity's sake, I said yes. It was Sept 4 to Oct 9 2000 when I attended my Basic Compre while I was pregnant with our 5th child. Before I could finish the course, I had to be brought to San Juan de Dios hospital due to labor pains. I gave birth to a premature baby. Because of this, I decided to quit but Dra. Dela Cruz told me to hang on. Again, I was convinced and following WFMC standards I put up my 50 sq.m. clinic that passed DOH standards on January 8, 2001.

After two years as a WFMC member, I put up a small underwear factory - with 8 sewing machines and 4 sewers and a cutter. I soon realized however that this type of business was seasonal.

During our quarterly cluster meeting, I learned that my batch mates Bing and Herlyn are doing well with their clinics and have become millionaires. They felt sorry for me because I was left behind compared to them. What was the problem? Why was I lagging behind?

I made a case study to find out how I could do better business with my clinic and even consulted a feng shui expert, who told me to transfer to a new site. I did not waste time finding a new site - I spotted an old building near the entrance of our barangay. The place had potential - it was a commercial space - so I talked to the owner. I was frustrated however when she would not give me the space. I told myself I would move mountains to get it, so I offered her a deal - a huge amount of down payment and advance payments. After two hours of negotiating, we settled a six-year contract.

I was so excited that I forgot about the construction expenses. My savings could not cover the cost of the two-story construction - I had to raise 400,000 to finish the project. With the help of my husband, who lent me the money he intended to use to buy a new car, I was able to finish the construction.

After two months of construction, I inaugurated my new clinic on May 18 2004, with no less than Ms. Easter Dasmarinas gracing the affair. My new clinic changed everything - I had to be on call 24 hours and could not attend to my family's needs, not even go to church, and worst of all, almost forgot I had a husband. It is a good thing that Bebot is understanding and suggested I hire someone to stay at the clinic at night.

I hired two midwives to stay in the clinic and a nurse to assist and dispense medicine during checkups. I also engaged the services of two back up OBs for those who want to seek an obstetrician-gynecologist's help and advise, and two pediatricians to cater to deliveries and pedia checkups.

After 10 months in operation, I know that I have proven my worth as a midwife. I have already paid back the money my husband Bebot gave me and bought a brand new Starex van for my family.

These blessings were given by Him and everyday I thank God for all these blessings I have received. I know without Him I am nothing.

To my fellow WFMC franchisees, never stop looking and thinking for the best. Sometimes, there are challenges but it makes us stronger, di ba? As an entrepreneur, don't be afraid to gamble if it's needed. Remember, you must take the risk in order to bring your dreams into reality. I know. Life is what we make it.

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Felomina P. Gotoman Daguinot: "Tragedies can be blessings in disguise" (Mindanao)

My experience can be likened to many Filipinas struggling for a better life in the countryside. Formerly an employee of the provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur, I, together with hundreds of others, was terminated and separated from service without due compensations. This sad and lamentable experience, nevertheless, became a blessing in disguise for me.

Having completed secondary education at the Southern Christian College in Cotabato City, I proceeded to take up Midwifery at the Notre Dame Hospital in the same city. Shortly after becoming a licensed midwife in 1986, I ventured to Pagadian City, the capital of Zamboanga del Sur, where I became employed as a casual worker at the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Hospital. I received a meager pay of P42.50 per day but my job order had to be renewed monthly, as I was not a regular employee.

Finally, after a few months of working, I became a contractual employee. While my pay was still the same, I was happy to at least know how long my employment would last. After two years of working hard as a contractual employee, my efforts were rewarded when I was issued a permanent appointment as hospital midwife with an initial monthly salary of P4000. With each year I earned a little more until I eventually received an annual salary of P109,000. It was during this time that I was able to buy the basic furniture and appliances necessary for convenient living.

Unfortunately, my blossoming career as a government midwife was confronted by a setback when a superior officer at the provincial hospital began making things difficult for me. I was harassed and persecuted no end, due to dirty and ugly politics. It was at this time that I finished my masteral degree in Public Administration, which I endeavored to take for career advancement.

In 2001, when the sister of the said superior hospital officer became provincial governor, I became among the first employees listed for retrenchment. At this time, I was already receiving P9900 / month and have already spent 20 years in public service. All of a sudden, my livelihood was taken away and food removed from the mouth of my family. For months I desperately tried to find a living, until I learned of the Well-Family Midwife Clinic program.

I immediately enrolled because training was to be shouldered by USAID. I worked hard and in November 2002, two years after I was removed from public service, I was able to establish my own two-bed Well Family Midwife Clinic. I provided the clinic space while my American sponsors provided all the equipment and facilities.

My termination indeed became a blessing in disguise. Today, I earn an average of P100,000 per month, the salary I used to earn for an entire year's work at the government hospital. As a WFMC manager, I have served far more numerous pregnant women, particularly during their delivery. I am very grateful to WPFI, to its officers, and to God, for the better life my family and I enjoy. I hope to continue serving people in my community through WFMC, and I hope to build a newer and bigger clinic in the future.